BIS comes out with first Indian standard for electric farm tractors

New Delhi, Dec 28 (PTI) The Bureau of Indian Standards has come out with the country's first testing standard for electric agricultural tractors, marking a push towards cleaner farm mechanisation.

The standard, IS 19262:2025 'Electric Agricultural Tractors - Test Code', was released by Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi on December 24 at Bharat Mandapam on the occasion of National Consumer Day.

Developed by BIS, it establishes uniform testing protocols to assess the safety, reliability and performance of electric tractors.

The standard covers testing of power take-off (PTO), drawbar power, belt and pulley performance, vibration measurement, and inspection of components and assemblies.

It draws on existing standards for conventional diesel tractors and electric vehicles, adapted for agricultural use.

"The implementation of this standard through authorised testing institutes would facilitate wider adoption of electric agricultural tractors, promote innovation in clean technologies, and contribute to reduced emissions," an official statement said.

Electric tractors, powered by battery packs instead of diesel engines, offer lower operating costs, reduced emissions and less noise. With fewer moving parts, they promise lower maintenance requirements and improved energy efficiency while eliminating tailpipe emissions at the farm level.

The standard was formulated following a request from the Ministry of Agriculture's Mechanisation and Technology Division, with participation from tractor manufacturers, testing agencies, research institutions and technical experts.

Contributors included the ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute, Tractor and Mechanisation Association, and Automotive Research Association of India.

While voluntary, the standard provides a scientific basis for evaluating performance and safety characteristics, and is expected to help develop future acceptance criteria and conformity assessment schemes for electric tractors. It also aims to give farmers greater confidence in the performance and capabilities of these machines as adoption grows. PTI LUX TRB